AmyRay Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Hello, experts! I hope you can help me. :) My DS(who will be an 8th grader) has just completed CLE 7, and I have been trying to transition him into TT's PreAlgebra. Background first: CLE has been a very good fit for him. I would not say he is advanced in math but he usually performs in the 83-88% range on most CLE quizzes and tests. He is the king of rushing/stupid mistakes (has ADHD) and sometimes his visual/spatial/handwriting skills get in the way. Also, a spiral has been a good choice because he likes to "throw away" information after he learns it; I have to sometimes prompt him on how to set up problems prior to working them out but once you get him started he is good to go. Okay, so due to the fact that CLE changes in the high school years, I knew that I needed to get him to change curriculums and better to get him on a new track now rather than later. I chose TT after reading up on it and seeing that so many kids love it and the computer aspect. He loves the computer so I thought that would work out great for him. Another reason for choosing TT is because CLE is tougher I thought that the first few lessons of TT's Prealgebra would be so easy for him. However, we are about twenty lessons in and I feel like I am more tied to him with math than ever before. Some of the issues are: 1. No paper trail for him to look back and review the rules or new concepts. Yes, there is a book but I find it very visually cluttered and wordy, plus there is no work space to work out problems. Also, the book is clunky to have out with the computer, keyboard, mouse pad, scratch paper. 2. Because each problem is shown in isolation, he is sometimes wondering what method do I use here? Again, I think this is an organizational issue for him. 3. Some of the methods are a bit different than the CLE. He has no issues reducing in CLE, but all of sudden with the TT, he has to relearn using a prime numbers and it is confusing him. Also the LCD information seems a bit long and convoluted compared to CLE. 4. Because it is on a computer he impulsive and tries to guess it instead of working it out and then if he does work it out, he has some issues transferring the info correctly back and forth from the screen. 5. Also, it is difficult for me to walk over and help him out because I have to also figure out what is going on and there is not a parent step by step guide. Yes, you can play it on the computer, but I would like a sample for myself as well. I guess I am old school and just miss the paper and pencil method. So any suggestions from those of you who have made this jump successfully? Or, on the other hand, did any of you bail on TT and find something that worked better? We have only done CLE previously so I really am ignorant on other choices. I don't believe he will be an engineer, but could possibly go into business so he needs a good math education. I did look at a Bob Jones video and didn't think that would be a great fit either. Any ideas or suggestions? Please, help! :) Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 If CLE was working for him, why not stay with CLE through Algebra I? After Algebra I the program is not the CLE Light Unit program anymore but a lot of people find it works just fine to transition to something else after Algebra I. And CLE is working to get the Algebra II and Geometry programs converted to their system so it MIGHT be ready by the time he needed it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyRay Posted July 9, 2016 Author Share Posted July 9, 2016 OneStep, Thank you for the suggestion. I would love to stay with CLE. My friend suggested that I jump earlier to the TT because she had said that some kids had a more difficult time making that transition later off the CLE. But obviously we already ran into that. I am very tempted to go back to the CLE. Do you know what most people jumped to after CLE Algebra that was an easy transition? Just in case CLE never gets their other programs finished by the time I need them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 I'm not sure what would work best but some have gone with Saxon or Jacobs or Lials for Algebra II or Geometry after. I can't remember what else. You might ask specifically about those areas of math after CLE Algebra I on the High School board. CLE Algebra I light units are newer so not as many have used it. It may take a bit of patience before you get a response from someone who has actually used CLE Algebra I then switched. You could also do a search. There have been threads regarding this. I just don't remember details. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyRay Posted July 9, 2016 Author Share Posted July 9, 2016 Oh, don't apologize! :) That's a great help! It gives me some things to look up and I am new here so a reminder to go to hs boards is good too! Thank you very much!! :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjand6more Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 I had some of the same thoughts as my dd was stating the "high school math line-up". She used CLE through math 8. This year(her 8th grade year) we started with TT Alg 1. She was beyond bored and frustrated. Daily she said she had already covered the material in CLE pre algebra. She proved it to me by doing the last 2 lessons in TT and only missing 1 problem. So, we stated CLE Alg 1 about 4 weeks into the school year. She finished it and we will try TT Geometry next year. We don't have a back up plan this time. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyRay Posted July 13, 2016 Author Share Posted July 13, 2016 (edited) I emailed CLE to find out the timeline for the updates. This is what I received: "We are planning to update Geometry and Algebra II. Geometry is still several years out. This fall we are planning to do a very small field-test of Algebra II with the regular field-test being the 2017/2018 school year. Algebra II would likely not be available for mass consumption until the 2019/2020 school year." The Algebra II will probably work out for us. Isn't the normal progression: Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-Calc? Do you think that having different curriculums for Geometry and Pre-Calc would be crazy? Or is it better to stay with one all the way thru high school? Any thoughts? Edited July 13, 2016 by AmyRay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 TBH, I think it actually may help to switch to a different program at some point, as long as the program is solid and a good fit for the student. Being able to work through problems that might be presented in a different format/wording, etc. may help a student with flexibility and the ability to apply the concepts better, instead of being dependent on a specific layout/presentation to trigger memory/understanding, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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